As the start of the Great Pacific Race 2016 approaches the teams prepare for their journey to Monterey with their boats. With 9 countries represented in the race there are clearly a variety of places where the boats and crews are arriving from. By land an by sea the boats are on their way. Several of the boats from Europe are already in transit. A few weeks ago, most European crews loaded their boats into containers or towed their boats to a port where a Ro-Ro car transporter docked. The containers and trailers were loaded onto the same vast transportation vessels that the crews will come across at sea during the race, and waved them farewell. Gradually these behemoths have been making their way across the Atlantic, down the eastern seaboard, through the Panama Canal and are now steaming north towards Oakland.

Team Endurance Limits, Uniting Nations and Moana Uli are loaded into containers aboard the MSC Ornella.

For the crews based in the USA getting to Monterey is easier than those arriving from Europe but the journey is certainly easier for some than others. For team Ocean Hearts based in LA their journey won’t begin until much later as their journey from Ventura is only 260 miles. There is however a team member with an even shorter journey. Rick from team Row Aloha lives in Monterey and works at the famous Monterey Aquarium and so could literally walk to the start line from either home or work. However, the team’s boat Row Aloha took part in the Great Pacific Race 2014 as La Cignogne rowed by the French cousins of team CC4 Pacific. After arriving into Waikiki, she was bought by the Hawai’ian based Todd Bliss and she hasn’t left, until now. Row Aloha is currently in a container on her way to Oakland.

Team Endurance Limits USA’s boat Mugatu are on a flatbed heading west from Mississippi

Endurance Limits USA have loaded their boat and trailer onto a flatbed truck which is being driven across the USA from the Mississippi. But perhaps the most interesting journey to the start is being taken by Team Fight the Kraken from Pennsylvanian who are on a good old-fashioned, cross country road trip. Vicki Otmani is towing Sedna across the USA. So far they’ve made it as far as Memphis. All the boats and crews will arrive in Monterey no later than May 21st for race registration giving the teams two weeks for final preparations ahead of the race start on June 4th. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to California. See you all soon.